In order to get to school every morning, I jump on a CTA bus, which drops me off just 5 minutes after I get on. Any one who has ever ridden on a Chicago CTA bus knows the very interesting and unique people a person is able to meet while riding. Today, however, was something quite different. I got on the bus as I normally do.
As we approached the next stop, a little girl got on and the bus began to move. With the jump of the bus, the little girl fell forward and I put my arms up to catch her (I was sitting right in the front side of the bus). She got up, smiled at me, said thank you, and proceeded to pay the driver. She was dressed in all pink with a little pink purse to match her outfit. She shuffled through her wallet to find the $2 in order to pay the driver. Since I was sitting in the front, I could tell by her expression that she didn't have the correct fare to ride the bus.
As she emptied her purse to find as much change as possible,
I got up, took out $2 from my wallet, and told the driver that the
girl was paid for. I went to sit back down and the girl followed me and sat down right next to me. She said "thank you" in a sweet little voice and we began to chat. I found out that she was trying to get to State Street in order to walk around in the shops and explore clothes.
It troubled me to think about a girl her size wandering around in the city with no money and no guardian. I could tell that she was scared, lonely, and lost. As my stop approached, I instructed the girl to get off with me. She was filled with spirit as we got off, and she continued to talk to me about her clothes and her purse. As we approached the intersection, the little girl took my hand, and I led her across the street to safety. Luckily, I had some spare time, so I took the girl to State Street, gave her $5 more, told her how to get home, and went to say good bye.
As I held out my hand to shake, she ran to me and gave me the biggest, tightest hug. I bent over and felt her cold cheek against mine. We pulled away and she looked at me with the biggest and sweetest blue eyes; then she skipped away down the
street.
Although my new friend, Emily, was just a 9 year old girl, she gave to me something that will take her many years to understand. As we hugged, none of us said a word; however, I knew that our hearts had met and a connection was made. The warmth I felt was indescribable, and she is someone I'll never forget.
I realized today that the best things come in all sorts of packages. No age or size can limit the strength of one's heart or the love that they can give.
